Calming Comfort Corner Ideas for Big Feelings and Toddler Meltdowns
About a year after welcoming our second son, our then three year old started struggling with big feelings. Between sheer exhaustion and postpartum anxiety, I found it difficult to help him without my own frustrations and insecurities getting in the way. One of the resources I started to lean on for support was a company called Slumberkins. Their books and matching creatures are dedicated to helping children navigate their feelings and encourage emotional wellbeing. They have lessons dedicated to building confidence, growth mindset, conflict resolution, among many others. I recognized the areas that I needed help in personally and set out to do better, for myself and my kids. I made sure to include their lessons in my parenting. Their affirmation cards became a daily ritual and few days passed without a story time involving their books.
I first heard about comfort corners through Slumberkins and other similar companies after googling how to survive the toddler years (I did by the way, just in time for another toddler). The idea of a “time in” where we talk about our feelings, frustrations and solutions was interesting to me. I figured it was worth a shot. Besides, shopping may be my love language, especially for kids decor. I found the one spare corner in our house and started making it cozy.
Just a side note here, Slumberkins isn’t necessary for a comfort corner. Our little nook is built around their books and creatures but you can use anything you deem important in your own comfort corner! It’s all about creating a space to take a deep breath and work towards a solution. There are also tons of resources on the Slumberkins website that are available without any purchase, like these amazing affirmation cards.
The very first thing I added to our comfort corner was a small, round play mat I picked up at Home Goods. I topped it off with a llama bedrest pillow from Kohl’s and a “kindness matters” pillow from TJ Maxx. We’re budget and clearance shoppers around here but I’ll try to link some similar, inexpensive options at the bottom of this post! I grabbed two baskets from Target and filled them with a few of the Slumberkins books that I thought would be most useful and their corresponding creatures. If you’re not going with a Slumberkins theme, think of adding books that have pictures showing different emotions and lessons around how to calm down, vocalize and reset those feelings.
Next up was the wall resources. I picked up two burlap covered bulletin boards from TJ Maxx, one for the creature cards and another for the deep breathing activity and the “I Feel…” visual. All of the paper resources came from the Comfort Corner download on the Slumberkins website and went straight through my laminator. If you don’t have a laminator, check out Amazon for great deals. It’s my most useful tool for DIY projects and preserving those sweet preschool projects (I’ll do a DIY on that later)! During a meltdown, we’d walk over to the wall and trace the mountains, while taking deep breaths and then point to the emotions we were feeling. Doing these activities with your child and naming your own feelings in front of them is a powerful way for them to learn. If you don’t have room to hang these resources, grab a binder and add your calm down activities! You could even use a ring to keep them together and hang them on a hook! I did that with the affirmation cards so we’d have them all in one place. I added “The Feels” set from Slumberkins and a few more stuffies to make it extra comfortable! Another addition I’ve seen and love is calm down sensory bottles which could be a fun craft to do with your children! You can easily add in their own personal interests to make it even more enjoyable! It’s all about creating a space that works for them.
Anytime my toddler started having big emotions, we’d immediately take a break and head over to the comfort corner. Not only was it a great way to open the communication and problem solve together but it also gave him the reassurance that his feelings were valid. Did it end all of the meltdowns? Absolutely not but he can speak to what he’s feeling now and frequently self regulates. For me, it took the frustration out of certain situations and instead, added connection and I think everyone could use a little bit more of that…even puppies apparently!
It’s been a while since we purchased everything for our own comfort corner but I’ve put together some similar online options below.
- a soft place to sit (Home Goods and TJ Maxx frequently have these at a lower cost as well)
- a unicorn backrest to add some whimsy
- a more neutral backrest with possible curbside pickup
- a rainbow pillow to help your little get through the storm
- check your local craft store for cute bulletin boards like this one from Hobby Lobby
- cute baskets like this are easy to find at Target
- be sure to check Bullseye’s Playground at the front of your Target store as well for bargain finds on baskets and pillows
Stay tuned for more mindfulness ideas!